Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-01-27
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
a Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY ALvA MILTON KERR
lcorImoirr. 1885, ny THE A. N. KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER CoNrANY.l
CHAPTER xI.-corrrNnrn.


CHAPTER X1.--CONrrNuEn
Ether fingered a little. but when Alb
salon declined, saying he never drank
any thing stronger than water, she
trippcd mcrrily into the kitchen and
began to iluttcr and sing about the
dinner.
'Woll. ! don't suppose it's the best
plan in the world TO be guzzlin' this
stun, !" sad Joel, 'but it cools man
of. you know. Here, Popp. fill up
your tumbler again. ! don't indulge
in this very often, Heater, only occa-
sionally when I'm hot, you know"
Julius drank several glasses, talking
voiubly most of the time, and when the
bottles werc exhausted he departed,
still talking voluhly, and went down
the street ON kind of rickety hop skip
and jump, with his tall hat on the back
of his head and twirling his cane. He
halted every one that he met in his Ella
tion. regardless of occupation OF ac-
quaintanceship, and striking an atti-
tudc told them with great gusto of the
unexpected arrival of, "my son-in-
law, Captain Heater. one of the slick
est and most brilliant specimens that
the war afforded, sir" and upon his
arrival at his wifc's place of business,
he literally dumbfounded the remain
der OF the Popps with the latitude of
his pancgyric and the glitter Of his adj
icclivcs.
Harry Whitney. coming from school
o9 ff...t r A y.
arrival, and hurried up into the Office
Of Bower q Woodman. John Earl
ing was writing busily "Who do you
think has come homeP" he said, cx-
cited out Of his usual rather lettering
drawl. John Earling looked up Won
deringly.
said Harry,
John EailingStappcd the table with
his pcnholdcr andNshOok his head.
'-Old Abr cried Harry. slapping him
en- the shoulder. John Earling sprang
up, put on bis hat, and the two went
away toward joel Whitncy's at tro-
mcndous pace. Absalom and Joel
were standing in the yard talking when
they came up. Joel was telling him.
with good deal of flourish. of a new
house h. intended building on some
lots over on the knoll, and Absalom
was listening in not very interested
way.
as that hlm?" whispered Harry,
douhtlully, as they went in at the gate.
"les.' said John. Earling. and the
two ran forward and caught the be-
wildcred AbsalUm by either hand, with
delighted cries aud ordinations The
soldier looked at them in q curious
half heightened way. "W-w-what!" he
stammered. lit amt the kids?n
''fes, il isl cried the young fellows.
He held fast to their hands and
looked from one to the other. "B-
blamed If il ain'tl' he exclaimed, and
the first tears he had shed came into
bis eyes He held them of and looked
1t them and pulled them about. not
kceming TO be able 10 stand still with
bis emotions. 'Why.n he said, "only
a little while ago | was rolling you kids
rround on the grass here and You
wasn't much bigger than my fists. and
now your most rs big as ! amw and
ever and anon, during the dinner at
which Mrs. Whitney graclously pre-
sided that day. Absalom ceased eating
20 look aiteclionately at the two Young
men and muttcr; ''Blamed II ii ain't
the kidsn'
A feast was made that night at the
residence of Mrs Julius Popp, which
was attended BY deal Of good cheer
and agemingly enjoyed by all save
perhaps with the sole reservation of
Absalom, who suffered nota little from
the supcrlatiye plaudlts OF the vain
glorious Julius.
In the morning Absalom pushed his
chair back from the table after break
fasting, and said 10 the happy-hearted
Ether; well, Poppy, guess may
consider the war over now, and
change these blue dads for white mems
clothes
But Ether. together with the other
lOrps, protested at once; he looked
80 dhtinguishcd and splendid in his
taptain's uniform, they said. Absa-
lom, however, reminded them. with
shake Of the head, that they had not,
Ike himself, been blue on the outside
aud blue on the inside. worked in blue
aud slept In blue; seen blue dead men
sud hlue living men about them. and
had litllc but blue sky over them, to-
eeihcr with large quantities of blue
smoke to breathe, during tho better
part Of five years. else he imag-
lned their admiration for that pariicn-
lar rim Of tha rainbow would
be less pronounced; for himself ho
most cmphatically thirsted for some
quleler color, aud proposed 10 proceed
forthwith 10 qnoneh that particular
desire Tho Popps surerally and
enrlY held their breath. while Absalom
ftifhcd ihcss sentences, aud, at the
finish, broke into agllaied APP
plause, for Absalom never before
hat been known % attempt the de.
livery ~ a dozen words at time,
semlng 9niie able 10 convoy an he
wished % soy "a very meager me-
d|nu, 50 that This lingual burst Of his
N,a: something quite startling. In
ftpdl The oilcct was 90 electrical the
NanIrpIlef of Julius cloquenco were
HNmedIately opened nnd proceeded 10
How hhsAlolo was eminenily per-
lan oi ert|on ann not d words: IN
a IltNfN oi this he Jumped up and |
lIYR1t'es dQnn IpNil, coming back |